Remotely-controlled interlocking means for ignition systems



1,616,956 1927' A. w. FARRELL REMOTELY CONTROLLED INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed April 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 8 1927. 1,616,956

A.'W. FARRELL REMOTELY CONTfiO-LLED INTERLOCKING MEAN-SFOR IGNITION SYSTEMS Filed April 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIE w. FARRELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T EDWARD L. KULI K, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REMOTELY-CONTROLLED I [NTERLOCKING MEAN S FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS.

Application filed April 12, 1926. Serial No. 101,601.

Anobject of the invention is to construct a means that may be attached to the coil-box of an automobile of a well known make, and having a. flexible shaft leading to the steering post, to be operated from the drivers seat.

' Another object of the invention is to provide means that will render the ignition circuit operable or in-operable. When in the l operable position the coils may be removed for adjustment or replacement, and when I in the in-operable position the coils are locked-in position and the ignition circuit is broken or grounded. Still another object of the invention is i to construct a switch that is theft proof,

having an armored casing forming the flexible. shaft and provided with lead wires to v the operating mechanism, should the flexible shaft be cut so that access may be gained to the lead wires, any movement of these wires will short circuit the ignition circuit and at the same time lock the coils and render the machine in-operable.

Still another-further object of the invention is to construct a switch attached to the coil-box and welded or secured thereto so as to insure the device from being tampered with and an armored flexible shaft leading to the steering post, to be easily operate from the drivers seat, the flexible shaft will allow movement of the coil-box should it be found desirable to remove the same from its'position on the engine without rendering the device iii-operable.

Other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein made.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1,. is a side elevation of an engine showing my device attached to the coil ox and steering post.

Fig. 2. is a plan section taken on the line 2, 2, of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3,'is a medial sectional view taken on line 3, 3, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a medial sectional V ew same as Fig. 3, showing the parts in a changed posi tion.

Fig. 5, is a, section on the line 5, 5, of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6, is a diagrammatic wiring diagram of the electrical circuit with the device in position.

Referring to the drawings 10, represents a suitable receptacle attached, welded by preference, to the lower portion or bottom of the coil-box of an automobile of a well known make, the same being preferably U-shaped in cross section and having its rearward end closed as indicated at 11', forming a housing for receiving the as .sembled parts of the switch and the locking elements. The bottom of the coil-box 12, is provided with suitable openings 13 and 14, as will be more clearly described in the following specification:

In the construction of the device the frame 14, is preferably of U-shaped construction comprising the portion 15, having the two outwardly extending portions 16, and 17. Fixed to the'inner side of the extending portion 16, is a piece of insulating material 18, which by preference covers nearly the entire surface.- The outwardly extendingportion 17, also has a piece of insulating material 19, fixed-to the inner side thereof, at its extreme end, which has the shaft 20, mounted therein, which as clearly shown in Fig. 2, is mounted in the insulating material only. Loosely mounted on the shaft 20, are a plurality of inwardly extending arms 21, 22, and 23, which have their extreme end portions provided with right-angle bends 24, 25, and 26, respectively, which rest upon the upwardly extending arcuate portions 27, 28, and 29, of the rocker members 30, 31, and 32, which are by preference made of insulating material, and mounted on the shaft 33. The shaft 33, is mounted in the outwardly extending portions 16, and 17, of the U-shaped member designated as a whole as 14; The rocker member 30, has fixed thereto a Contact member 34, extending outwardly of the shaft 33, in two directions for the purpose which will be hereinafter described.

Pivotallv mounted to the lower member of the rocker 30, is a connecting link 34, which is also connected to the lower portion of the U-shaped rocker member 35, this member being'suspended on the shaft 36,

which has the two op osed locking members a rectangular opening 42, to be engaged by either of the locking members. Each of the. rocker members 30, 31, and 32, have pivoted to their extreme lower endswires 43, 44, and 45, which extend through an opening 46, in the ortion 15, of the U-shaped member 14, an extend through the flexible armored shaft designated as a whole as 47. This shaft is secured to the U-shaped member 14, and extends to the locking member 48. The wire 43, extends to the locking barrel 49, slidably mounted Within the member 48, and is secured to the collar or washer 50. Interposed between the washer 50, and

the. end section 51, of the housing member 48, is a compression spring 52, which normally tends to ress the washer 50, against the inner end 0 the locking barrel 49. The wires 44, and 45, extend through the armored shaft 47, and are secured to the end section 51. Each of the rocker members 30, 31, and 32, have secured thereto, the tension springs 52, 53, and 54, which are anchored to the shaft 55, mounted in the two outwardly extending portions 16, and 17, of the U-shaped member 14. Mounted in the insulatingmaterial' 18, which is fixed to the side wall 16, are three contact mem here 56, 57, and 58, the contact 58, being longer than either of the contacts 56, and 57 It will be seen in Fig. 3, that the contact member 34, is in-contact, with the contact points 56, and 58, thereby, completing the ignition circuit through wire 59, which is secured to a binding post 60, in the portion 15,01 the U-shaped member 14. The con' tact point 58, has a lead wire 61, fixed to it, and extending to the shaft 20. v Referring now, to the member 48, a switch 62, of any suitable type is mounted, and

has a lea wire 63, to the binding post 60. Each of the coils as will be seen in Fig 3, is provided with metal straps 64, 64, on the underside thereof, and the center coil, indicated as A, has ananglestrap 41,- which extends through the opening 14, .in the bottom of the coil box 12. It will be seen, that in this construction, the two end coils must be placed in position and the coil A, inserted will rest upon the straps 64, 64, of the. adjacent coils, and thereby, holdthem in lockedposition. In the usual construction of these coils they are provided with base contacts 65, which contact, with the bus bar 66, has a downwardly turned end 67,

which rests against the shaft 20. It will be noted in this construction, that an electric circuit is provided in conjunction, with the locking means. In the operation as shown, in Fig. 3, the device-being in the un-locked or operative position, the locking barrel is tin-locked and is forced outward by the compression spring 52, bearing upon the washer 50, to which the wire connection 43, is secured, the other end of which is secured to the rocker which, is caused to rock with the contact member 34, closing the ignition circuit between the contact points 56, and 58, thereby, allowing the electric connection to be completed from the manually operated switch 62, attached to the housing member 48, to the binding post 60, through the lead wire- 59, and contact member 34, through the lead wire 61, to the insulated shaft 20, through the downwardly extending portion 67, of the bus bar 66, through each of the coils, and the commutator, and out of the coils to the spark plugs. \Vhile in its un-locked or running position the circuit is complete, and the parts of the locking device are in their normal or un-locked position, in which case the coils may be removed or adjusted.

Referring more particularly, to Fig. 4, which shows a locked position, also the circuit being broken, in order to attain this point, the locking barrel 49, must be forced inwardly until the locking dog ofthe bar rel is snapped into position as is well known and understood. The collar 50, will compress the spring 52, against the end wall 51, thereby, leaving the wire 43, free to be drawn by the tension spring 52, secured to the end of the connecting link 34*, and the shaft 55.

The rocker 30, will be rocked about the shaft 33, carrying with it the contact member 34, which'at all times remains in contact with the contact point 58, and the opposite end Will be brought into contact, with the contact point 57, which in turn is connected by a lead wire 68, to the shaft 69, which is secured to the two side members 16, and 17. The connectinglink 34, will rock the U- shaped member 35, causing the locking member 38, to engage the rectangular opening 42, inthe strap 41, which is secured to coil A, and thus locking it into fixed position, to prevent removal of said coil. It will be noted, that while the parts are in this position the ignition circuit is broken, grounded, and the coils are securely held in a locked position. Should the flexible armored shaft 47, be tampered with by an un-aut-horized person, an access gained to either of the wires 43, 44, and 45, and one of the wires should be pulled for the purpose of making It will be noted that the surface of these arcuate portions are comparatively. small and allow only for a givenmovement of the rocker, any further movement will cause,

theeXtending arm to be drawn downward under the spring tension until said arm contacts with the shaft 33, and in this manne'r for'ming a ground through the shaft .33, and one of the arms and the downwardly extendingmember 67, of the bus bar 66,

and at the same time rendering the device in' a locked position. As may-be clearly seen in Fig. 4, one of the right angle bends as for an example 24, abutting the end of one of the arcuate extensions 27. Should one of the wires be cut it will be understood that one of the tension springs'52,53, or 54, de-

ending upon the wire that is cut, will draw 'ck the rocker to which the particular wire is attached, and'in this way w ll cause one of] the extending arms to drop oil, of the arcu- 'ate extending member, being drawn down by the'springtension to the shaft 33, and in this manner short circuiting the ignition circuit. .It will be seen that in the construction of this device, the U-shaped housing 10, may be attached to the lower portion of the coil box, and the arts "comprising the circuit, and the loc ing means may be assembled independently of the housing memher in the U-shaped member designated as a whole as 14. In this manner, the switch is fully assembled, and inserted into the housing and may be sealed welded or soldered as a unit. In constructing the armored flexible shaft, I, refer to use a flexible tubing 70, having a liardened lurality of coils such as, a coil spring 71,'tlie purpose'of this construction being for the easy handling of the device for installation, and the flexibility of the shaft-47, whereby, the switch housing 48, is secured to the steering post of the vehicle, maybe set into lposition, and the shaft will not yield in sue a manner, as to move any of the working arts or in other words the length of the exible shaft will be held at all times to a given length.

Having thus described'my invention, it is obvious, that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing. from the spirit'of my invention; ience I do not wish to be understood as limiting'myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown, and described or uses mentioned. a

What I claim is 1. In a 'device of the class described, the

combination with a casing having a contact member mounted therein, of means for actuating said contact member, coils provided with locking means and means for locking said last named means.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a casing having a contact member mounted therein, means for actuating said contact member, coil locking means, said coil locking means actuated-by said actuating means and means for positively locking said coillocking means when said actuating means has been moved independently.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a casing having a contact member mounted there1n',-means actuating said contact member, coll locking -means,

means for locking said coils independent of said contactmemb'er and rendering the said contact member grounded or short circuited. {1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having a contact member, a plurality of locking arms, independent connections to actuate said locking arms and positive locking means for holding said lockin arms in locked position.

5. In a evice of the class described, the combination with a casing having a contact member, a plurality of locking arms, lndependent connections to actuate said locking arms, positive locking means for retaining said locking arms in a locked position, said actuating connections extending outwardly of sa1d casing and an armored housing externally of said casing. embracing said connections.

6. In a device of the class described, the

'member, a plurahty of locking arms, posi- 'tive locking means for retaining said locking arms in a locked position, said last named locking means to render the device inoperable.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having a contact member, a plurality of lockin arms, a flexible connection attached to eac of said locking arms and extends outwardly of said casing, an armored housing externally of said casing embracing said connections, with actuating means attached to one of said independent flexible connections.

8. In a device .of the class described, the combination with a casing having a contact member, a plurality of locking arms, co'il locking means, said contact member and coil locking means actuated simultaneously and independently of-said locking arms.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing having a contact member, a plurality of locking arms, coil locking means, means attached to said coils co-acting with said coil locking means, and

actuating means independent of said casing for manually operating said contact member and coil locking means independently of said locking arms.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination With a casing having a contact member, a plurality of locking arms, coil locking means, actuating means independently of said casing for operating said contact member, electrical connections in said casing to complete the ignition circuit when said contact actuating means is actuated by said independent actuating means.

ARCHEE W. FARRELL. 

